Institutional investors are flocking to the CME Group’s regulated crypto derivatives markets, setting a series of records in ether-linked futures and options contracts. Solana and XRP, CME told CoinDesk on Thursday.
Since October 10, open interest in CME crypto futures and options has jumped 27%, a rise the exchange attributes to the shift away from offshore markets following a wave of liquidations last week.
On Tuesday, open interest in ETH futures reached 48,600 contracts – the highest ever – with SOL and XRP futures also hitting all-time highs at 20,700 and 10,100 contracts, respectively.
Options open interest hit $9 billion, another record, highlighting how more traders are using CME products to hedge or speculate with regulated tools rather than offshore alternatives. CME’s Micro Ether futures ranked second in volume on Tuesday, reflecting the broader shift.
“The top 10 [open interest] “The days were all in October, demonstrating strong conviction and growing participation in the regulated crypto derivatives market,” a CME spokesperson said, highlighting growing market participation and growing conviction among professional investors.
The trend builds on CME’s third-quarter results, when combined crypto futures and options volume surpassed $900 billion and average daily open interest reached $31.3 billion. In September, notional open interest peaked at $39 billion. More than 1,000 large open interest holders were active during this period, suggesting that the use of these products extends beyond a niche circle of traders.
This growth is not limited to Bitcoin or Ether. Since their launch earlier this year, CME’s Solana and XRP futures contracts have attracted considerable attention. Solana futures surpassed $2.1 billion in open interest in September, while XRP reached $1.4 billion.
